Too much water is making its way from Colorado into Nebraska via the South Platte River, say legislators, water experts and water users. Storage solutions could cost up to $1 billion. Not only are they expensive, new storage reservoirs are complicated by other issues, such as environmental impacts and regulatory burdens. While there is more than enough water during the wet season, there is a significant shortage when water is needed.

The United States Supreme Court did not accept an appeal of the 9th Circuit’s ruling on federal reserved rights in the landmark case, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians v. Coachella Valley Water District, et al., upending almost a century of understanding about the difference between federal, state and private rights to groundwater vs. appropriable surface water. This means that expensive litigation is in the future, as case goes back to the federal district court for determination of the quantity and quality of groundwater to which the Tribe has a claim.

Butte County is suing the California Department of Water Resources for billions of dollars following February’s Oroville Dam fracture. This is on top of numerous other lawsuits by business owners and other local governments.

The Trump administration prides itself on deregulation, but when it comes to the federal approval process involving the nation’s water, critics say that Trump’s “more efficient” process will mean that local governments will bear increased burdens of waste, pollution and cost.

The San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, Arizona have spiritual significance to nearby Native Americans and economic significance for those who rely on skiers making their way to the Snowbowl. This apparent clash of interests has been the subject of lawsuits, including an action by the Navajo Nation several years ago. A similar case brought by the Hopi Tribe, located within the Navajo Nation, concerning snow-making at the mountain has been reinstated.